The new album from Glasgow-based artist Alvidrez opens with the pristine of "Hymn for the Corner", a song that really is like a hymn. The cut, one of many here on Antiphon that strikes a similar balance, is stunning in its presentation. A listener may reach for some obvious points of comparison -- Julee Cruise, late period Cocteau Twins, etc. -- but Alvidrez is operating in unique territory here, after all.
"For the Outside" unfurls with a deliberate grace, with a hint of Virginia Astley's stuff about it. Alvidrez, a Californian in Glasgow, creates music that is simple, warm, and enveloping. There's little on Antiphon that is not captivating and borderline hypnotic. This is one of those releases that demands a careful listen in one sitting, preferably on headphones. The music is glacially-paced in spots, but thoroughly elegant throughout. Like the music of The Blue Nile, or Piano Magic, there's much to be said for the empty spaces here, with Alvidrez conjuring a mood that pulls you in and holds your attention. "So Much Depends Upon", for instance, works its dramatic effect thanks both to the vocals of Alvidrez, but also thanks to the careful keyboard-lines traced out which carry the tune forward.
There's a sense of grace throughout Antiphon. Alvidrez stakes out a clear path, unencumbered by anything unnecessary. The music is precise, concise, and beautiful in its stark clarity. Any single cut here would likely transfix a newcomer to this material, but taken as a whole, and the entire record utterly inspires.
Antiphon by Alvidrez is out now via Memorials of Distinction. More details below.
[Photo: Kylie Shaffer]